Type is a very critical element in graphic design. The principle that applies to other graphic design elements also applies to typography. Those principles include asymmetry, space, contrast, unity, rhythm, emphasis and hierarchy. However in addition to those common features of all the graphic design elements, typography as a special element has its own unique features.
Type that consists of the same letters can give very different look and feel and thus express very different emotions and convey very different meanings for the entire graphic work. Type can vary with its font, size, weight, capital/small character, leading, tracking, kerning, color as well as position to other type. There are so many factors that can affect the look and feel of the type.
Among those factors, fonts can affect the type dramatically. As we know, fonts have various personalities. Some fonts can be used in a very formal and official situation, while some can look very playful and childish; some are classy and stylish, while others are rough and heavy. For some design works, just by looking at the font, the audience will be able to get a brief idea of what the design is trying to say, even before reading the content.
Due to so many attributes of the type, it can also be used to create visual variation in a composition design work. Options for variation can be Italic versus Regular, Light versus Bold, Uppercase versus Lowercase, Sans Serif versus Serif, etc.
Special effects added to fonts can also lead to great results. Outline, Inline, Shadow are the ones that have been used regularly in modern graphics. However, overusing those effects can result in a muddy, illegible message.
To summarize, type is an amazing element in graphic design. It affects the look and feel of the design dramatically by all kinds of its attributes. To introduce the variation of type into the design, we should also be cautious to avoid too many special effects and variations. Because all the effects are just to support the design to convey a clear message. Therefore, in most cases, a good design doesn’t have more than 3 types of fonts.
Tags: graphics, typography |
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